Maryland voters will head to the polls this year with open races for the top three statewide positions — governor, attorney general and comptroller. Voters will choose every member of the General Assembly this year and, following redistricting, Maryland voter choices for eight U.S. House districts and a U.S. Senate seat could determine control of either Congressional chamber.
And finally, Maryland voters will decide if the state should legalize the recreational use of marijuana, with the General Assembly to work out the details later, along with other state and local ballot questions.
Who is allowed to vote in the general election?
People 18 years old or older (or will be 18 years old at the time of the General Election on November 8) can register to vote in either the primary or general elections. You must also be a U.S. citizen and a legal resident of Maryland.
Primary elections in Maryland are closed, meaning that only individuals registered as a member of a political party can vote in that party’s primary. You can select your party affiliation when you register to vote.
You are ineligible to vote if you are under guardianship for mental disability and found by a court to be unable to communicate a desire to vote or are in jail for a felony conviction. If you have been convicted of a felony and have completed a court-ordered sentence of imprisonment, you are eligible to vote. If you were convicted of buying or selling votes at any point in the past, however, you will not be eligible to vote.
College students from out of state studying in Maryland can vote in Maryland primary elections if they register to vote using their Maryland address. More information for students can be found here on the Maryland Board of Elections website.
Military personnel, military dependents and civilians living overseas may vote in Maryland elections if their current or most recent U.S. residence was in Maryland.